Battle of Fort Trodann

The Battle of Fort Trodann was a battle in the early years of the Forge of Astaria Ne394-395 taking place between the Erristan Navy, Erristan Stallion against insurgents who would be known as the Gunners.

Dec 28-Jan 1

Involved:

Erristan Navy:		 14 ships, 3,000 soldiers Erristan Stallion: 	1,000 soldiers, 11 guns

Gunners (Precursors to the Astarian Army):		 203 soldiers, 106 guns

Result: 			Erristan victory, gained Control of Fort Trodann Erristan Navy:	700 dead 8 ships sunk, 4 irreparably damaged		Erris Stallion:	62 dead, 140 wounded

Astarian Army:	18 dead, 9 captured

==  Buildup == Fort Trodann is a minor outpost that holds very little strategic influence to the Erristan during peacetime. Located downriver from Vassau in outer Drydok (2-3 kilometers), housing a formidable, but rather unused fortress on the river.

After the fall of Vassau, fearing another mess like in ____, the Erristan Stallion was held outside of range for a siege, while the superior navy aimed upon the fort, with 14 ships surrounding the peninsula laden fort, while the Stallion camped to the southwest, blocking a land retreat.

Captain Gilroy Cespaen, long time Vassau guard, loyal to his county before the King, and a staunch supporter of Separation, ordered his 86 soldiers to stay and defend the fort to their greatest ability.

The fort was barraged with cannon fire for 4 days,  showing surprising resilience to the fierce attack. No casualties on the rebel side were accounted for in the first 3 days, as the Navy was instructed to bring a bloodless resolution to the conflict, so their main tactic was to wait out the soldiers, who were not prepared for a siege, and would likely starve out in a few weeks time.

Dec 28
Cespaen, stuck with ample supplies of powder but only a few dozen cannonballs, ordered to wait out as 5 soldiers (self-named the Gunners) were sent through an old resupply tunnel during the night to retrieve help.

Dec 29
Fearing the Erristan Navy would realize he was without ammunition, he ordered that a barrage would be put out during the night, where only 1 in every 6 cannons would be loaded with projectiles, while the others would fire blanks, looking to intimidate the enemy.

The ruse was partially successful but Erristan naval officers noted something strange about the night attack; most were happy with the apparent ineptitude of the fort soldiers, and ready to let them run themselves out of cannon in a few days time.

Dec 30- New Year's Eve
Fearing the Gunners had abandoned them, Cespaen considered surrender. He would continue his ruse that night, firing blanks, as he and his soldiers escaped through the tunnel. Roughly an hour until midnight, 1 of the gunners returned through the tunnel, announcing that the Gunners had recruited a small militia of sympathizers in a nearby town, stormed the regional Armory outside of North Brathen, and returned with the entire supply of munitions and arms. They loaded through the tunnel for the entire night, forgoing their cannonade display from the night before.

Jan 1- New Year's Day
Doubling their cannons, adding 120 soldiers, and bringing enough ammunition for a true assault on the Erristan Navy, Fort Trodann opened fire upon the unsuspecting Errristan Fleet. Thinking they had run out of ammunition, the fleet had come within a deadly distance for Fort Trodann’s cannons in order to land soldiers.

Cespaen is credited with saying to “The Gunners”, who now included the 120 volunteers that had joined them, "“The fort will be lost, that is a fact. When that time comes, it is paramount that each of you return to your homes at North Brathen, lest you bring the wrath of the Stallion upon your home town. I will not stop you from joining us now, but when I give the order, you retreat. Not a single one of you is permitted to die here today; if a comrade falls, you carry their body home. If you will not grant me this, you must leave now. As for the soldiers of Fort Trodann, I absolve you of your oath to defend her. When I give the order for the gunners to retreat, you can do so with your heads held high.""But in leaving, all of you swear to this oath: you will not let this position fall without avenging her. You will rally to the cause, and bring others too. As for me, I will stay at my post, as I am duty bound. The fort will fall, and I will be captured, and I will be hung as a traitor; nothing will give me greater pleasure in this world. But that is only if you carry on”"Fire was opened and “The Gunners” cut through the unsuspecting Erristan Navy, sinking 8 of their 14 ships, and crippling all remaining but 2. In response, the Stallion and the Erristan Navy opened fire in order to cripple the fort (no longer to subdue it), resulting in breaches in fort defenses in many places.

Retreat
Cespaen ordered retreat just after dusk on New Year's Day, asking that all cannon be loaded before they left so he could fire as many times as he could to hold the Stallion off. 8 soldiers stayed back with him, while the surviving 176 left.

Cespaen and his remaining 8 were captured, tried quickly and hung for treason.

The surviving Gunners sought out the Astarian Congress, and formed the first official battalion of the Astarian Army under revolutionary Ashley Tisdale.

==  Misc. == Selenite customs demand prisoners are allowed to speak their peace. Erristan custom is to ask the question “do you wish to share a word?”. There are two conflicting reports on what was said by Caespaen:

Astarian Journal:"Caespan- “Freedom”""Erristan Official- “The King has granted no such freedom”""Caespan- “This the beauty of freedom, it is not for a King to give. I took my freedom from him and I would again. Though I will die with my hands and feet chained, I die a free man, if you never understand that, then you will always be my enemy”""Erristan Official- 'We have judged you in our realm and found you guilty, and now the gods must judge you in their own realm.'"

Official Erristan Records:"Caespan- 'Freedom'""Erristan Official- 'We have judged you in our realm and found you guilty, and now the gods must judge you in their own realm.'"It is more likely that the Official Erristan record is the true exchange and the Astarian Journal account was romanticized. The offer to "share a word" is meant literally and most prisoners were given a chance to speak a single word as a last plea for mercy or a last word of defiance. It is unlikely that protocol was broken to allow a convicted traitor to deliver such a speech.